The present invention relates generally to computer systems and, more particularly, to a multilingual agent for use in computer systems.
Networked computer systems enable users to share resources, such as documents. A user at one computer can access a document stored on another computer. The computer using the resources of another computer is typically known as a client, and the computer providing resources to another computer is typically known as a server.
FIG. 1 illustrates a known networked computer system 10. The networked computer system 10 includes a client 12 and a server 14 connected to one another via a network 16. The client 12 and the server 14 may be in the same room or they may be in remote parts of the world. However, the client 12 is still able to access documents on the server 14 via the network 16.
Because the client 12 and the server 14 may be in remote parts of the world, the documents that the client accesses on the server may be written in languages that are unfamiliar to the user of the client. Therefore, a need exists for mechanisms that enable users of clients to access and understand documents on servers, regardless of the languages in which the documents are written.
In addition, networked computer systems include programs that enable users to locate resources, such as documents. These programs provide indexing and searching capabilities so that the user of the client 12 can locate documents on the server 14 and other servers. If the documents on the servers are written in different languages, problems can arise in attempting to index and search for the documents. Therefore, a need also exists for mechanisms that enable servers to make documents on the servers available to users of clients and that enable users of clients to locate documents on servers, regardless of the languages in which the documents are written.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a multilingual agent for use in computer systems. The multilingual agent assists clients and users of clients in locating, accessing, and understanding documents on servers, regardless of the languages in which the documents are written. The multilingual agent also assists servers and providers of servers in making documents on the servers available to clients and users of clients, again, regardless of the languages in which the documents are written.
A networked computer system in which the preferred embodiment of the present invention operates includes a client, a server, and a multilingual agent connected to one another via a network. The multilingual agent includes a document analyzer, a language identifier, a language converter, and a link modifier.
In the operation of one aspect of the multilingual agent of the present invention, when the client retrieves a document from the server, the multilingual agent determines whether the document is written in a language that is unfamiliar to the user of the client. If the document is written in a language that is unfamiliar to the user of the client, the multilingual agent xe2x80x9cgistsxe2x80x9d the document. The multilingual agent then provides the client with the xe2x80x9cgistedxe2x80x9d document. Lastly, the client displays the gisted document to the user of the client.
In order to gist the document, the document analyzer of the multilingual agent breaks the document into pieces. For each piece of the document, the language identifier of the multilingual agent identifies a source language in which the piece of the document is written. Using the identified source language for each piece of the document, the language converter of the multilingual agent converts words or phrases in the piece of the document into equivalent words or phrases in a target language in the gisted document. Additionally, the link modifier of the multilingual agent modifies hypertext links in each piece of the document.